Interview with Animesh Mishra – Founder Director, Phoenix Networks Global Pvt Ltd.

Confidently stepping into the international spotlight with a powerful rebrand, pioneering tech investments, and a vision to redefine live sound — across India and beyond – Animesh Mishra, a stalwart within India’s vast and dynamic live event landscape, shares the story behind his company’s revolutionary transformation, and his vision for the future.

Precision, reliability, and sonic excellence – these are virtues that define the difference between a good event and one that remains permanently etched in the audience’ minds and hearts for all the right reasons. India has played host to several such spell-binding live experiences in recent times; and one name has consistently echoed at the top: Phoenix Networks.

Known across India’s sprawling event landscape for crafting high-performance experiences with surgical accuracy and an unrelenting passion for detail, the Bhopal-based company has steadily built a legacy of executional brilliance.

Founded in 2011, Phoenix has executed over 5,000 events, including more than 500 mega-sized productions, earning acclaim for events like Ed Sheeran’s Mathematics Tour in Mumbai, the intricately staged Tansen Samaroh, and the dynamic, large-format Me’Gong Festival. Most recently, their flawless execution at the Kathmandu Music Festival in Nepal served as a proving ground for their international capabilities—further cementing their readiness for wider horizons.

Thus, in a move as bold as the team that coalesced those mesmerising experiences – the ‘Phoenix’ legacy has a new name; and a bold new direction.

Phoenix Networks is now Phoenix Networks Global Pvt. Ltd.

And it must be noted that the transformation comes not only with a refined vision, but also with renewed technical firepower. The company has recently fortified its live sound arsenal with two strategic acquisitions; each chosen for their trailblazing performance and future-forward adaptability.

In this exclusive interview, Entertainment Technology Asia sits down with Animesh Mishra, the visionary founder and director of Phoenix Networks Global Pvt. Ltd., to unpack the journey, the thinking behind the rebrand, the technological leap, and where this dynamic enterprise is headed next.

ETA: Let’s begin with the big news. Phoenix Networks is now Phoenix Networks Global. What prompted this shift?

Animesh: The change had been brewing for some time. Our client base has been expanding steadily, and we’ve started getting serious traction from international markets. The tipping point was the Kathmandu Music Festival in Nepal late last year. That project proved not only our ability to execute in unfamiliar environments but also our capacity to deliver the same Phoenix-level quality outside Indian borders. So, in early 2025, we formalised what we had already been evolving into. The name Phoenix Networks Global Pvt. Ltd. represents our expanded business aspirations — it aligns with our vision of becoming a truly global technical services brand.

In a way, you could say that this rebranding marks more than a cosmetic refresh. It is the outward signal of an ambitious inward transformation — one fuelled by our company’s growing cross-border engagements and a distinct desire to service global markets with the same intensity and finesse that has made us a trusted brand within India’s event circuit.

ETA: Is this re-brand purely symbolic, or are there tangible operational shifts?

Animesh: It’s very tangible. We’ve restructured our internal operations to better support international deployment — be it project logistics, cross-border compliance, or even personnel mobility – all while ensuring our domestic operations run smoothly at optimum levels.

Actually, we’ve been actively studying neighbouring markets like Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Middle East, and more for a while now – and we realised that these are regions with tremendous cultural and entertainment vibrancy, but relatively fewer high-calibre technical service providers. And so, following the success of the Kathmandu Music Festival, we had some in-depth conversations with event planners and cultural agencies in a few international locations, and I must admit that their prompt and positive response was extremely encouraging.

Our plan is to be a bridge — to bring world-class technical execution to productions in these territories; while ensuring that we continue raising the bar for technical excellence in India, irrespective of the scale of events we do.

That’s why we’ve recently fortified our live sound arsenal with two strategic acquisitions. The first is a full-scale Martin Audio WPC line-array system comprising 24 WPC modules, 12 SXH218 subs, 6 LE200 monitors, and 10 iK42 amplifiers. And the next one is a brand-new Sennheiser Spectera Wireless System. These investments were each chosen for their trailblazing performance and future-forward adaptability.

I truly believe these moves position Phoenix Networks Global as a flexible, tech-savvy, transnational player capable of offering bespoke audio solutions in complex and varied environments. From India’s grand concert halls to unpredictable terrains abroad, we are prepared to deliver scalable, premium production services backed by an ever-expanding portfolio of top-tier equipment — including India’s largest Meyer Sound Panther and Leopard inventory.

ETA: How does your new Martin Audio system fit with your existing Meyer Sound inventory?

Animesh: Seamlessly! And I say this with certainty and confidence. This is not a “replace” strategy — this is a diversification strategy. We want the best tools in every category.

Meyer is still our go-to for large-format deployments. Like I mentioned earlier, we have the largest stock of Panther and Leopard systems in India, and we’re deeply invested in them. But what the Martin Audio WPC system gives us is flexibility at scale.

The Wavefront Precision Compact (WPC) system is a monster in a very elegant jacket. It gives us scalable resolution, which is absolutely vital when you’re working across different venue profiles and city types. Whether it’s a dense urban ballroom or a 3,000-seat outdoor venue, we can now optimise for consistency and throw without over-deploying.

When it comes to the rig that we’ve acquired in particular; I’d say it’s compact yet powerful—it’s fast to fly, easy to configure, and sonically stunning. It complements our existing arsenal and allows us to tailor every project with absolute precision.

ETA: And what’s your take on the new Sennheiser Spectera wireless system? How does this impact your company’s inventory?

Animesh: The Spectera system is, frankly, mind-blowing. It’s software-defined radio architecture gives it unmatched adaptability—ideal when you’re dealing with congested RF environments, which is becoming the norm, not the exception. You get wideband tunability, superior intermodulation resistance, low latency, and solid encryption. It’s a beast for both touring and hybrid fixed-rig systems. The best part? It plays nice with legacy infrastructure, which makes it a dream for transitional deployments. This is us future-proofing. We’re not buying for today—we’re buying for what’s coming five years down the line.

ETA: Are there any other technologies on your radar for the near future?

Animesh: We’re watching developments in audio very closely. Be it mixing consoles, networked control systems, wireless systems, real-time deployment analytics — anything that gives us better control and data-driven decision-making capacities. And of course, lighting, staging, and video aren’t far behind. We’ll be revealing some major updates there before the end of this fiscal.

ETA: With these developments coming in quick succession, how has your team adapted to so much rapid change?

Animesh: That’s a brilliant question. The answer lies in culture. We’ve always been a team that thrives on discomfort—on pushing the limits. Every time we invest in something new, we also invest in training, shadowing, and simulated rigging sessions. That keeps us agile. Also, a large part of our crew has been with us for years – and they’ve played the perfect mentors to anyone new who walks through our doors. There’s loyalty, but there’s also a hunger to learn. That’s priceless!

ETA: With so much happening, where do you see Phoenix Networks Global in five years?

Animesh: Leading the charge in transnational live event solutions, without question. I want us to be the first name people think of when planning a technically demanding production—whether it’s in Mumbai, Muscat, or Mauritius.

We’ll continue investing in technology that gives us scale without sacrificing quality. But beyond that, I want us to keep crafting unforgettable experiences. That’s what we’ve always done, and that’s what we’ll keep doing—only now, with a wider canvas.

We’ve always believed that good sound is universal — it doesn’t care about borders, time zones, or languages. And neither do we. Whether you’re a promoter, an artist, a cultural body, or a fellow tech company — we are here to collaborate, innovate, and elevate. Because at the end of the day, we don’t just manage events — we craft experiences that endure.